Improvement in mechanical musical instruments



2 Sheets-Sheet, l.

M. J. MATTHEWS. Mechanical Musical-Instrument.

No. 211,636. Patented Jan. 28, 1879.

INVENTORI ATTORNEY,

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M. J. MATTHEWS, Mechanical Musical-Instrument.

" No. 211,636. Patented Jan. 28, 1879.

Fig.2. i

J g/ J 1/// I A Y Z J) m VYITNESSES: I NVEN TOR QM QM/M 7/ BY MAI/wATTORNEY.

NPETERB PdOTO-LTTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. |Jv C- UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

MASON J. MATTHEYVS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MECHANICAL MUSICAL ENSTRUMENTS.

Specification (binning part of Letters Patent No. 211,636, dated January28, 1879; application filed August 19, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MASON J. hIATTHEWS, ofBoston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Musical Instruments orToys, of which the following, taken in connection with the aecompanyin gdrawings, is a specification.

Myinvention relates to a musical instrument which I term a phuniphoneand it consists, first, in the method of operating musical instrumentsby holding the driving-shaft firmly in the hand, and causing the body ofthe instrument to revolve about said shaft, as will be described.

My invention further consists in the combination of suitable wind-movingbellows; a vacuum or reservoir chamber provided with a series ofwind-passages an endless band of perforated paper resting upon andcovering said wind-passages, and passing around, carryin g rolls ordrums at either end of the instrument 5 a reed-ehamberprovided withwind-passages corresponding to those in the vacuum or reservoir chamber,and with suitable reeds, and placed upon the opposite side of said paperband, all mounted within a suitable frame or casing; and ashaft or rodpassing through said casing at or near one end, in position to pressupon the paper band where it passes around one of the carrying rolls ordrums, and provided with an enlarged prolongation thereof beyond theexterior of the frame, in the form of a handle, to be grasped by thehand of the operator and held from revolving about its axis, while thebody of the instrument is made to revolve about said shaft, and therebycause the endless band of paper to be moved along between the reed andvacuum chambers, and cause musicaltones to be produced as theperforations in the paper are successively brought to coincide with thewind-passages in the vacuum and reed chambers.

My invention further consists in a casing or frame made intwo parts,hinged together at one end and detachably secured together at the otherend, in combination with a driving or operating shaft provided with anenlarged prolongation beyond the frame in the form of a handle 5suitable wind-moving bellows, connecting with aseries of wind-passagcs,and

mechanism for operating said bellows, all mounted in one portion of theeasin g or frame, and a reed-chamber provided with a series of reeds andwind-passages; a pair of rolls or drums, and an endless band ofperforated paper stretched around said rolls or drums, all detachablymounted in the other portion of the casin g or frame, in such a mannerthat when the frame is closed and secured together the paper shall restupon and cover the wind-passages leading from the bellows, and passbetween such passages and the reed-chamber, and when the casing or frameis opened the endless band of paper may be readily removed and anotherput in its place when it is desired to change the tune.

My invention further consists in a novel method of operating thewind-bellows of a musical instrument by eausin g said bellows to berevolved about a stationary pulley, as will be further described.

Hy invention further consists in so mounting one of the removablepaper-carrying rolls or drums in one portion of the divided frame orcasin g that when said casing is opened said roll or drum is free to bemoved toward the other paper-carrying roll to loosen the endless band ofpaper, in combination with a pair of springs secured to the otherportion of the casing, and adapted to engage with the shaft of said rollor drum when the easin g is closed, and force said roll away from theother papercarrying roll and into the bi ght of the endless band ofperforated paper.

It further consists in so mounting the reedchamber in the casing orframe that it may be readily removed therefrom when the casing is open,and be movable therein in a direction at right angles to the line ofmovement of the paper band when the casing is closed, in com binationwith springs adapted to force said reed-chamber onto the endless paperband, as will be further described.

Figure l of the drawings is a perspective view of my musical instrument,illustrating the manner of holding and operating it. Fi 2 is a plan; Fi3, a transverse section on line 00 .00 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section on line z 2 on Fig. 3; and Figs. and 6 are,respectively, a plan and sectional elevation of aportion of thereed-chamber and the casing.

A and A are the two parts of the casing or frame of the instrument,hinged together at a, and 'securedtogether at the opposite end bytliehook b and pin 1;. B is the operating or driving shaft, mounted inbearings in the portion A of the frame, and having firmly secured uponone end, outside of the casing, the pulley O, and upon the other end thehandle D, to be grasped in the hand of the operator, as shown in Fig. 1,and thus held in a fixed position or prevented from revolving about itsaxis, while the body of the instrument is made to revolve about saidshaft. E is the vacuumehamber or reservoir, attached permanently to theportion A of the frame or casing, and provided upon" one side with aseries of windpassages, c, and having secured to its opposite side twoor more wind-moving bellows, F F, each provided with a suitablevalve,"d, and a forked arm, 0, as shown-in Figs. land 4.

er is a shaft, having formed therein two cranks, f f, set opposite toeach other, and each fitted to and working in the fork of one of thearms 0 to impart motion tothe bellows.

Theshaft G has its bearings in the frame A, andhas secured to its upperend the pulley H, connected by the endless belt I with the pulley (Jonthe upper end of the shaft B.

The reservoir or vacuum -chamber E is kept expanded by the spring g.

J is an endless band of paper, having formed therein a series ofperforations, so arranged as to produce a tune in passing over thewind-' passages between the reservoir and the reedchamber, said bandbeing mounted upon the carrying rolls or drums K and L, removablymounted in bearings in the portion A of the casing or frame, one neareach end thereof, in such position that the inner portion of said bandof paper, when the two parts of the casing are secured together, shallrest upon and move incontact with the wall of the reservoir E, thronghwhich the wind-passages c are made.

The roll K has its periphery covered with rubber, and its journals restin slots cut in theinner faces of the sides of casing A,"in'such'apositionas to press the paper band'between it and the shaft B,around which it revolves when the instrument-is in operation, and byfrictional contact therewith cause said paper band to be movedcontinuously around the carrying-rolls and the several perforationstherein to be brought successively over the wind-passages c 0. The rollL is also provided with journals 2', which fit into the angular slots hh, (shown mostly in dotted lines ilrFig. 4,) and is forced toward theend of the casing or frame A, and into the bight of the endless band ofpaper J, by the tension of the springs z" 2', attached to the portion Aof the frame, and adapted to engage with the journals when the twoportions A and A of the frame are closed together.

M' is the reed chest or chamber," provided with a series of reeds, j,and windpassages 41?, corresponding in number-with and directly over thewind passages c, and also provided ateach end with a projecting pin orlug, l, i

side bar, said spring being adapted to force the reed-chest toward thereservoir and press the paper band thereon when the two parts of thecasing are secured together in position for operation.

The reeds shown are adapted to be operated by suction, and the bellows,F F, shown in the drawings are suctionbellows; but it is obvious that ablast-bellows and reeds adaptd'to be operated thereby may be usedwithout in the least affecting the principles of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, -1. V A musical instrument prov'i ed series of reeds,fa'wind r'noving b qwspana an operating-shaft having its bear ngs extending beyond the case ofthe instrument; in the form of 'a handle, all'arrang d tu; adapted to be operated to produoechords tunes by causingthe body oftheinfstiiiment to revolve about said operatings'h'aft',while;

said shaft iskept from revolving, sdhstgtjfiwny' as'des'cribed."

2. In combinationw'ith theshaft provided with the axial handle D,adapted to be grasped,

by the hand of the operator, one or more wind" moving bellows,'fF, avacuum: or reservoir chamber, E, provided with V a series'bffwindipassages, c,a reed-chamber; M,"prov1 de d Wltll a series 'of'reeds andwind-passages,

endless band of perforated paper, J, stretched around the two carryingrollsKand#L,;-and

passing between said reservoiralld reed-*ch'a if bers, all arrangedwithin-a"frame, AA,'and: adapted to'be revolved therewith aroundthe'jshaft B, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. Aframe or casing madeintwoparts,

and A,'hinged together and secured asset.

forth, in combination wit-l1"'t1ie shaft Bj'p'ro-fi vided with the axialhandle D, suitable wh ch moving bellows F, conneetingiwitliafseriesiofwind 'pa'ssages, c, and meehanism'for operat ing said bellows, allmounted in the portion of said frame,and an endlessband of perfoa ratedpaper stretched around two; carrying rolls or drums, and a reed-chamberprovided with 'a" series of reeds and wind-p,assages de-I tachablymounted in the portion A "of the frame, substantially as and for'the'purposes described.

4. The combination of the non-rotating shaft 1 B, provided with theaxial handle D and pulley 0, one or more wind-moving bellows, F, eachprovided with a forked arm,e, theshatt f, the pulley H, and an endlessbelt; I, all'ar G, having formed thereinone or more ranks, j

ranged'as set forth,'and adapted to ope ate substantially as and for thepurposes describedg 5. The combination of the paper-earryi roll L,mountedin the angular lots end with a lug or pin, 1, in eombination withslots on and springs or in the side bars of frame A, substantially asdescribed.

MASON J. MATTHEWVS.

Witnesses:

N. O. LOMBARD, E. A. HEMMENWAY.

